Nearly $50,000 worth of landscaping could be in store for a stretch of Shelbyville Road — a move councilman Jerry Miller said comes as Middletown Commons and other commercial developments spring up in the area.

"We're going to get a lot more people from outside of the area, and I think when they see the effort that's being put into beautifying Shelbyville Road, they'll want to come back," Miller said.

Middletown Mayor Byron Chapman said the city has not yet determined which stretch of road will receive additional landscaping, but he expects a decision to be made early next month.

Metro Council voted Thursday to approve $24,741 in neighborhood development funds — money left over from other projects as the year comes to a close. Miller said the city of Middletown plans to match the funds.

"I work very well with Mayor (Byron) Chapman and the commissioners at Middletown," he said. "When they approached me about this opportunity to match my money with theirs to move ahead with this very important project, I was delighted."

Reporter Kirsten Clark can be reached at (502) 582-4144 or on Twitter at @kirstenlmclark.